Five of the most memorable moments of newscaster Barbara Walters’ career

Newscaster Barbara Walters died on Friday at the age of 93, after a legendary career in journalism that broke down barriers and saw her come face-to-face with some of the world’s biggest names.

Best known for her signature interview style, Walters sat down with every sitting American president from Gerald Ford to Barack Obama, several world leaders — including notorious dictators — celebrities and convicted murderers.

Here are the five most memorable moments of Walters’ storied career:

Walters breaks barriers as first female co-anchor

After getting her start as a writer and researcher on NBC’s “Today” show in 1961, Walters quickly moved up the ranks to become the first female co-host of the program. 

However, Walters reportedly had to wait for her male co-host to ask the first three questions in interviews and would not be officially recognized as a co-host until 1974.

In 1976, Walters left NBC to serve as co-anchor of the “ABC Evening News” alongside Harry Reasoner, becoming the first female co-anchor of a network evening news program.

Walters interviews Castro in Cuba

Walters traveled to Cuba in 1977 to interview Fidel Castro, the first of two times that she would sit down with the former Cuban leader.

The first interview reportedly took several years to come together, after Walters met Castro briefly on another trip with several reporters. 

When Walters returned in 1977, she and Castro crossed the Bay of Pigs together, where the U.S. supported a failed military invasion in 1961 that led up to the Cuban Missile Crisis.

“The word charismatic was made for him,” Walters said in 2016, reflecting on her interview with Castro. “You would have liked him. I would have liked him.”

“Then, you had to stop and say, just a minute, this is a man who does not believe in freedom of the press, he told me, does not believe in democracy as we know democracy,” she added.

Begin, Sadat agree to joint interview with Walters

Walters’ joint interview with Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin and Egyptian President Anwar Sadat, also in 1977, was another milestone in her career.

Begin and Sadat, political foes at the time, would come together a year later to sign the groundbreaking Camp David Accords, a framework for the eventual peace treaty between Egypt and Israel.

Walters had interviewed the two leaders separately on several occasions before and reportedly secured the joint sit down after Begin asked Sadat, “For the sake of our friend Barbara, will you do the interview together?”

President Nixon sits down with Walters for first TV interview since resignation 

Former President Richard Nixon sat down with Walters in 1980 for his first television interview since leaving the White House.

In the final minutes of the interview, Walters asked Nixon about the Watergate tapes that ultimately led to his resignation in 1974. 

“Are you sorry you didn’t burn the tapes?” Walters asked, leading to Nixon’s notable response, “I probably should have.”

Monica Lewinsky interview draws 74 million viewers

In 1999, Walters secured the first television interview with Monica Lewinsky, a former White House intern whose affair with President Bill Clinton eventually resulted in his impeachment. 

The interview drew a massive 74 million viewers, making it one of the most watched television interviews ever.

“It’s the biggest interview I’ve ever done,” Walters told Variety in 2014, reflecting on her career after announcing her retirement.